Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan sent a message for International Women Day

The imprisond Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan send a message for 8'th March International Women's Day
Ocalan emphasised that "Women must take their own decisions.
They must have their own free spaces, places you can determine your lives.

Abdullah Ocalan wrote the message for 8 March during the recent visit by the BDP-HDP delegation.

Ocalan began his message: "My dear women comrades", continuing: "For me, the freedom of women is more important than land and culture. A woman must be a freedom fighter. You must liberate yourselves."

In his message Ocalan said:

"Nothing has affected me, both with sorrow and anger, and elation and enthusiasm, as much as the story of women's slavery and freedom.They must have their own free spaces, places you can determine your lives. Make the search for freedom the basis of your work. Don't complain, be creative. When 3 or 4 women come together produce a solution. Trust your femininity".

Öcalan emphasised the importance of striving for women's freedom, saying:

"For a people cannot be free if the women are not free. A revolution is not a revolution if it cannot liberate women. An organisation that cannot organise women is not an organisation."

Ocalan also mentioned Sakine Cansız and martyrs in his message:

And emphasizing that;

"Your place is not just your homes. You should be everywhere. You must have a say. Women should speak everywhere. If it hadn't been for the women's freedom struggle women would have continued to live as slaves." Öcalan added: "The heroines who have been martyred were all precious. I commemorate them all with respect. Sakine's life is an example. Women's liberation is Sakine's struggle. You must uncover what happened to Sakine."

Öcalan pointed out the capitalist form of exploitation that women also undergo, and said:

"Women are left out of life. Women should have their due status in the society. Women are the leading force of social transformation. Women should form economic communes".

Ocalan also, stres dozens of women were murdered every day, said:

"These deaths are worse than war. They take young girls as wives. Then when they rape them and they die they treat them like an animal carcase. Another of the biggest problems for women is unemployment. They have removed women from the economy. Women must find their place in society. They are in the vanguard of social change, and must establish economic communes."

About women's struggle Ocalan says:

"Middle East revolution must be developed as a revolution of women's liberation. Equality and freedom can only be sustained through liberation of women. Our revolution is women's revolution".

Öcalan ended his message:

"I great all of you, all the women struggling for liberation fullheartedly, with love, with wisdom and celebrate your women's day".